Chip Forrester will step aside as state Democratic Party chair

Chip Forrester will not be seeking re-election as chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, the party confirmed Thursday morning.

During his four-year stint as chairman, Forrester oversaw perhaps the worst period in the state party’s history. After losing control of the state legislature in 2008 — for the first time since Reconstruction — Democrats saw the state painted red in 2010 after a wave of Republican success.

After national embarrassment surrounding the disavowed U.S. Senate candidacy of Mark Clayton, the party is hoping to prevent further losses. If Republicans gain at least two seats in the state House and Senate this November, they will achieve two-thirds majorities in both, rendering Democrats practically irrelevant on the Hill.

However, Forrester leaves the party with a plan he hopes will get them out of the hole. In a May cover story, he described a strategic plan to The City Paper called the New Path Forward. Inspired in part by the modern techniques displayed by President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, the strategy is meant to strengthen the party’s ground game, using metrics-based campaign systems. The plan also focuses on building the party’s bench, and restoring strong communication amongst its various stakeholders.

9 Comments on this post:

By:TITAN1 on 10/25/12 at 12:32

Another empty chair.

By:BigPapa on 10/25/12 at 12:50

As long as the Dem party is the standard bearer of the far Left I dont see it working in TN. Only in Memphis and Nashville, and that's because of the overwhelming numbers of the underclass that reside in these cities.

By:JeffF on 10/25/12 at 2:03

" and restoring strong communication amongst its various stakeholders.

Attempts to reach Forrester were unsuccessful."

A promise of strong communications and then not making yourself available to a prominent Democratic stakeholder (the press). Awesome!

Please don't go! We need you to stay.

By:govskeptic on 10/26/12 at 4:25

"New Path Forward"". As long as the buzz word "Forward" is in any title we,
the great unwashed, know your talking about the Leftist agenda used for
decades by groups which this state has long rejected. Now and hopefully
forever as the founding fathers had hoped.

By:envesta on 10/26/12 at 7:39

Here's hoping the next Chair embraces a true liberal agenda and proudly defends it. For too long TN Democrats have been "republican lite," and have not offered voters a clear choice. Yes, we will lose some of our elected "republican lites" in the process, but by installing a new progressive culture we will establish the soid groundwork necessary to attract real Democrats and future Democrats. A reinvented Democratic party could actually get the attention -- and votes -- of the many thousands of TN voters who simply don't participate in our current republican v. republican lite model. TN is not as red as you think.

By:Moonglow1 on 10/26/12 at 9:27

Moonglow1: read my comments under voter ID law.

We need real leadership in TN. The Koch's have already given thousands to Blackburn and others.

When the idiot doctor (dejarlis) who has no regard for the Hippocratic Oath he takes as an MD can win an election, we've got major issues in this state.

When plutocrats have said, "if the Chinese can work for 99 cents per hour so should the American worker. " Remember that quote next time you bash the unions.

More importantly, Romney will increase your taxes by placing the mortgage deduction in a capped bundle up to 15K. So while you pay more, the President of the United States will have his money in the Cayman's. The plutocrats must be rolling in laughter at the stupidity of the masses. Fooled again suckers.

By:hattrick3 on 10/26/12 at 9:28

envesta - That's a rock solid plan. Should go over great in Tennessee.

By:slzy on 10/27/12 at 12:40

The Democrats anti-gun stance cost Gore the White House not to mention 100s of other offices nation wide.

By:FaceBook:Emmett... on 10/29/12 at 8:38

It doesn't really matter. The Dem party itself is heading toward the dustbin of history under its national leadership anyway. Elected Dems know ObaMao's destroyed them and they hate him. Too bad. They won't be missed.